Epigastric Pain Caused By Pneumothorax Following Extubation In A Case Of Transperitoneal Laparoscopic Nephrectomy

Pneumothorax is a rare complication of laparoscopic surgeries.1 We report our experience of a patient who developed a sudden fall in SpO2 and a sharp rise in EtCO2 during transperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy, requiring conversion of the surgery into an open procedure. Postoperatively, the patient developed severe epigastric pain. A chest X-ray was inconclusive but a CT angiogram revealed a pneumothorax with mediastinal shift, which required intercostal drainage. We believe that epigastric pain maybe an important symptom of pneumothorax following laparoscopic nephrectomy and recommend the use of a CT scan to make a definitive diagnosis should that not be obvious on a chest X-ray.